Drinking straw or the like



Apnl 7, 1936. T. M. PRUDDEN DRINKING STRAW OR THE LIKE Filed Dec. 30, 1952 Ewen/tor TIBIIJIBM Pluddelz Hmz I Patented Apr. 7. 1936 UNITED STATES atterri PATENT oFFlcal 2,036,773 DRINKING s'rnAw on 'rms' uns Theodore M. Prudden, Bingham Center, Mass.,v Application December so, 1932, sel-m No. Marsa s claims. (ci. 13srsi Q In the development of the etiquette of beverage drinking in public as at soda fountains and spas, the use of straws for potation has come to be more and more a. custom. 'I'here is theoretid cally at least an increased pleasure in sipping the beverages coupled perhaps with a more leisurely enjoyment and a greater assurance of a sanitary.

In addition to the transparency of my straws, I

provide for an increased display oi the beverage gn as it is sucked through the'straw. This I accom- `pllish by providing longitudinal facets or surfaces disposed to increase the apparent surface oi the stream and at the same time attain an increased stihness in these comparatively flexible or elastic as' tubes.

One dimculty in a fabricated straw of such ina-I terial lies in the necessity of providing these small thin tubes of suilicient strength to prevent collapse under suction and yet have a suiicient 3o elasticity or springiness to resume shape if slightly compressed by the lips. It is also to be noted that where transparency' is to be attained any seams must be invisible or as inconspicuous as possible.

35 l I also contemplate straws of cross sectional capacity of two ordinary straws. The simultaneous use of a pair of straws has become common practice to give increased capacity and ensure the availabiJity of drinking means even after one or so the straws has collapsed under lip pressure. At least one oi a pair oi straws usually becomes flattened by the repeated application of the lips as where a beverage like cold coffee is sipped from time to time throughout a meal.

as My invention contemplates straws ot vsuclh character as will appear from the disclosure o! thespecification and reference to the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

Fig. l shows a characteristic straight straw.- so Fig, 2 a curved or bent straw for prone potation.

Fig. 3 a characteristic section enlarged, Fig. -4 a modied section form, and Eig. 5 a further modified section. 55 While' my straw may be, made in almost any desired form, certain structural shapes are of peculiar advantage and lend themselves particularly to the concept. In the types shown in the drawing preference is given to an angular cross section such as the hexagon shown, but this is r modied byl one or more V-shaped grooves d. 'I'his gives the increased display of the beverage and strengthens the straw i and gives to it facets or longitudinal surfaces 3. These surfaces 3 being transparent and glossy increase the display i valu s and make for increased attractiveness. Suc a form (particularly as in Fig. 3) also suggests to the user that the straw is of double ca- ;pacity so that two separate straws of the type oi my inventionare not necessary to meet the presi.- ent general practice of using two separate round straws instead of one.

The straws are preferably made up oi two or more layers or sheets of the cellulosic material. as indicated in the section and are given a predetermined set byheat and pressure.

Cellulosic material oi the class including cellulose esters, cellulose ethers or hydrated, regenerated Io1' other cellulosic material capable of being formed into thin sheets is very transparent 2: and has a natural resilient flexibility but in certain of them these characteristics are modified bythe molding eiect of the heat and pressure.

By heating say above 200 F., in their manufacture. my straws are produced in a sterile state. 3u

Where seams or overlapsas at 4 are necessary they are preferablyV disposed at v'lateral angles and if transparent cement is used arepractically unnoticeable. The heat and pressure produce a close adherence .of the laminae andthe combined sheets have a smooth surface and reflective sheen which makes an attractive display of the beverage.

If V-shaped ribs 2 are used they may be opposite andl deep as in Fig. 3, or may be shallow as w at 21 (Fig. 5) or the groove may be on one face only as at 23 (Fig. 4) as its reective effect is visible from the other side.

In the form oi straw iii shown'in Fig.v 2, the material is molded into-a. bent or curved form as M for use in beds, hammocks or other places where the. user is in a prone position. In this form the moldability of the material is of great importance as it can be given a permanent curve or bend without appreciably reducing the cross section. ,50 The bend is preferably continuous and less sharply bent than the glass tubes used in hospitals.

Being clean and sterile they are well adapted to the sick room and being of single service use do away with the washing and sterilizing which 55 than the glass tubes and easier for a weak or feeble patient to use.

In whatever type or form such straws are attractive and add an aesthetic touch to their utilitarian qualities. v

In my specification of materials above that may be used in accordance with my invention I have excluded nitrocellulosic materials containing camphor compounds, such as celluloids or like commercial products commonly used in the industries, as not being adapted for the manufacture of straws according to my concept. The materials indicated by me are capable of providing in such straws characteristics of extreme transparency, non-brittleness and waterproofness and are not subject to degeneration by atmospheric changes or reactive tendencies with acid carbonated or alcoholic beverages.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. As a novel article of manufacture, a thin transparent resilient tubular article of a plurality of sheets of cellulosic material of the class in cluding cellulose esters, cellulose ethers, hy.

drated, regenerated* or other cellulosic material capable of yielding transparent sheets or films, said sheets having interfacial adherence with a substantially transparent cement 'without substantial diminution of the transparency.

2. As a novel article of manufacture, an artiiicial soda straw for the potation of colored bev erages, comprising athin transparent resilient tube of a plurality of sheets of cellulosic material of the' class including cellulose esters, cellulose ethers, or hydrated, regenerated or other cellulosic material capable of yielding transparent sheets or films, said sheets having interfacial adherence without substantial diminution of the transparency.

3. As a novel article olf-manufacture, a thin transparent resilient tubular member of a plurality of sheets of hydrated cellulosic material of the class including cellulose esters, cellulose ethers, or hydrated, regenerated or other cellulosic material capable of yielding transparent sheets or films, plasticizable by heat, said sheets having interfacial adherence without substantial diminution of the transparency.

4. As a novel article of manufacture, an artificial soda straw for the potation of beverages, comprising a thin transparent tube of lustrous cellulosic material having the characteristics of extreme transparency, non-brittleness and waterprooiness, said tube having flat longitudinal surfaces reiectively disposed with reference to the ilow of th Leverage.

5. As s novel article of manufacture, an artiilcial soda straw for the potation of beverages, comprising a thin transparent tube of lustrous celluosic material having the characteristics of extreme transparency, non-brittleness and wateforoofness, said tube having. fiat longitudinal f ser, renectively disposed with reference to the @or of the beverage. 1

te. As a novel article of manufacture, an artificial soda straw for the potation of beverages, r;omprising a thin transparent tube of lustrous cellulosic material having the characteristics of extreme transparency, non-brittleness and waterproofness, said tube having a cross section of polygonal cross section having a central longitudlnal valley forming fiat' longitudinal facets refiectively disposed with reference to the flow of the beverage.

'7. A single service drinking straw consisting of a tube of thin, transparent, resilient material and of definite, persistent predetermined .cross section, and having flat longitudinal facets reflectively disposed with reference to the now of the beven-ea 8. A drinking straw, consisting of a plurality of sheets of transparent material having their edges overlapped and secured together to p duce a resilient tube.

.THEODORE- M. PRUDDEN. 

